The South Korean presidential office on Thursday denied a media report that a trilateral summit among South Korea, China and Japan will be postponed to next year.

Presidential spokesperson Kang Min-seok told reporters in a text message that no decision has been made regarding the summit.  

The annual summit, which South Korea seeks to host within this year, has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Japan's Nikkei reported earlier in the day that the planned trilateral summit will be delayed as the environment in which South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga can meet in person has not been arranged due to continued conflict between Seoul and Tokyo over Japan's wartime forced labor.  

The Nikkei quoted a senior Tokyo official as saying that Seoul has not proposed a specific schedule or agenda to be discussed between the leaders. The official reportedly said it is no longer possible to hold the summit this year.